Jail for man after telling friend 'I'm going to kill you'

AN APPLE Tree Creek teenager will spend four months behind bars after a potentially deadly game of chicken left Apple Tree Creek Hotel and Papa's Panda Pizza patrons fearing for their lives.

Beau Kenneth John Brady-Lawrence, 18, kept his head bowed as he heard his fate when he appeared in Childers Magistrates Court following an alcohol and drug-fuelled night.

Police Prosecutor Senior Constable Hayley Glover told the court Brady-Lawrence was drinking with friends at the Apple Tree Creek Hotel on April 12 when he threatened to kill a friend.

The court heard Brady-Lawrence told his friend "I'm going to kill you" as he waved around two knives before witnesses grabbed the knives and wrestled him to the ground.

Snr Const Glover said Brady-Lawrence ran back to his house but returned moments later in his unregistered car, driving straight at the witness, narrowly missing him.

She said Brady-Lawrence continued to drive back and forth in front of the hotel and pizza shop four times, while performing "wheelies" and trying to run down his friend.

Snr Const Glover told the court on two occasions Brady-Lawrence drove straight towards the hotel, slamming on the brakes just before impact, causing hotel and pizza shop patrons to scatter out of the way.

The court heard Brady-Lawrence, who was unlicensed, had a blood-alcohol concentration of more than twice the legal limit and had admitted to smoking two marijuana joints that night.

Judge Gary Finger told Brady-Lawrence that his actions were "atrocious" and "dangerous" and warned the 18-year-old that he was "lucky" his actions had not killed someone.

"It is one of the more serious offences of this nature that I have seen in my period on the bench, or heard of on my period on the bench," he said.

"I shudder to think what would have happened if you planted your foot and failed to hit the brake and went straight through the hotel.

"You wouldn't be standing before me... you'd be before the Supreme Court judge charged with murder.

"You can think yourself

very, very lucky that you're even here."

Judge Finger told Brady-Lawrence that the community needed protection from "people like you" before sentencing him to 12 months in prison.

"The community won't tolerate this sort of behaviour. Let's hope your period of incarceration will teach you and the community that, at the very least," he said.

Brady-Lawrence was fined more than $2000 for a string of driving offences, including dangerous operation of a vehicle and was disqualified from driving for more than two years.